CERC WANTS CENTRE TO REVISE GUIDELINES FOR LPG CYLINDER QUOTA
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in Press Releases
Ahmedabad, 5th January 2013
Consumer Education and Research Centre has opposed the anomalies in the implementation of the decision to reduce the number of LPG cylinders per connection. In a letter on 11 December 2012 to Mr Veerapa Moily, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, CERC has questioned the recent ruling of the government that only one connection at the same address is eligible for the yearly six LPG cylinders under the subsidized quota. This rule could hit the joint family culture in India as it will impose an additional financial burden of purchasing cooking gas at premium rates for big families that will be unable to survive on the limited quota.
The joint family system is a deep-rooted trait in the Indian culture, CERC pointed out and appealed to the Centre to resolve the plight of thousands of such consumers who are part of joint families and will now have to bear an additional financial burden. CERC has outlined the threat that this `one kitchen one connection’ rule will pose to the social fabric of the country.
The letter cited the example of a retired civil servant who will have to let go his LPG connection to stay with his 45-year-old son and daughter-in-law, both of whom have shown the same address at the gas office and are, therefore, entitled to only one subsidized connection.
CERC has also suggested ways through which the government can verify the number of people staying in a house and accordingly allot the subsidized connection. These methods include checking the municipal corporation bill, election card, telephone bill of the same address, which will help the authorities to avoid the misuse of this criterion.
CERC has asked the authorities concerned to take the required corrective steps against the ‘one address-one connection’ rule and re-issue a fresh set of guidelines, keeping in view the joint family set-up in India. Else the consumer organization has also threatened legal action against the bodies concerned.
For further information please contact Ms Pritee Shah (O) 079-27489945/46
